Michael Penix Jr. sits with bone bruise in left knee
The stubbornness the Atlanta Falcons showed this offseason in refusing to trade Kirk Cousins, despite his wishes to go, may pay dividends on Sunday when the veteran quarterback starts his first game since last December in place of Michael Penix Jr.
Cousins will start against the Miami Dolphins, barring a last-minute miracle recovery for Penix and his injured left knee, a source confirmed to OutKick on Saturday.
Cousins Starts In Place Of Penix
Penix is officially questionable for the game because he’s been nursing a bone bruise to that left knee that he suffered in last week’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Falcons coach Raheem Morris hinted this move might be necessary when he told reporters Penix was limited in practice toward the end of the practice week while Cousins had taken “significant” repetitions in practice, particularly on Friday.
“I’m really confident in our backup,” Morris said of Cousins on Friday.
Morris should be confident because it just so happens that Cousins is the NFL’s highest-paid active backup at any position.
His original four-year, $180 million deal signed in the spring of 2024 was meant to reward him for being Atlanta’s starting quarterback.
Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins practicing during OTAs. (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
Cousins NFL’s Most Expensive Backup
But something funny (not to Cousins) happened en route to the new quarterback being the new face of the franchise.
- The Falcons drafted Penix Jr. one month later in a move that greatly surprised Cousins.
- Cousins led the NFL in interceptions by mid-December after 14 starts and was benched.
- And when the Falcons turned to Penix,, it was decided that move would be permanent, making Cousins the backup this season.
That led to stuff.
Cousins asked to be traded. He even asked owner Arthur Blank to be dealt.
But the Falcons, unwilling to lose him and not get the kind of return they expected – they wanted a relatively high draft pick and didn’t want to pay a majority of his guaranteed money – decided to simply keep Cousins as a very expensive insurance policy.
And by expensive, we mean Cousins is making $27.5 million in cash this season and his running total for 14 starts so far is $90 million.
Dec 8, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws a pass against the Minnesota Vikings during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Cousins Still Believing For Miracle
It became clear to Cousins by August he wasn’t getting his wish to be traded so he could start elsewhere.
So, you’re darn tootin’ the Falcons expect him to play well on Sunday against the struggling Miami Dolphins.
We could get the return of Cousins just in time for the final weekend of Kirktober.
Yeah, a little nostalgia there.
Cousins has seen action this season in the Falcons’ Week 3 blowout of the Carolina Panthers. He completed 5 of 7 passes for 29 yards.
And this: One person close to Cousins says he’s adjusted to his new status but hasn’t given up hope something miraculous happens and some quarterback needy team – Minnesota? – might be tempted to trade for him before the Nov. 4 trade deadline.
Yeah, very unlikely.
But this has been a strange time for Cousins ever since he arrived in Atlanta. Why should it stop now?
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